By Haddy Touray

A new Russian language initiative has been launched in The Gambia, providing students and professionals with an opportunity to learn the language from a specialist from Russia without travelling abroad.

The Volga Summer Russian Language Course began on 17 August and will run for two weeks. The course is being conducted by a specialist in Russian language and culture from Russia.

The initiative is aimed particularly at Gambians interested in pursuing higher education in the Russian Federation, where the number of Gambian students studying has increased in recent years.

The programme was initiated by Gibril Faal, a graduate of Tver State University in Russia and a specialist in international development. Faal is a visiting professor in practice at the London School of Economics and was awarded an OBE for services to international development.

“Creating opportunities for Gambian students to learn Russian here is about more than language — it’s about building a bridge to world-class education and professional networks,” Faal said.

He said the initiative would enable students to acquire basic Russian language skills before travelling to Russia for further studies.

The programme is supported by Russian and Gambian institutions, including the Russkiy Mir Foundation, which promotes Russian language and culture internationally, and Rossotrudnichestvo, the Russian federal agency responsible for international humanitarian cooperation and related affairs.

Faal said the organisers hoped the initiative would eventually contribute to the establishment of a Russian House in The Gambia.

“We are deepening this collaboration and hope this initiative paves the way for the first Russian House to be opened in The Gambia,” he said, adding that the CIIC in Russia had been a key partner in the initiative.

The University of The Gambia, through the Gambian government is also partnering in the project, with plans underway to extend the collaboration beyond the initial two-week course and provide students with continued opportunities to study Russian.

The course has already recorded progress with participants reportedly learning to read the Cyrillic alphabet, write their names in Russian and read basic phrases within the first three days.

The initiative builds on previous efforts to introduce Russian language instruction into Gambian educational programmes, including discussions involving the University of The Gambia.

The programme is expected to further strengthen educational and cultural cooperation between The Gambia and Russia while providing Gambian students with additional pathways to academic opportunities in the Russian Federation.